Snap-switch.



No. 738,941. PATENTED SEPT. 15, 1903.

R. H.. READ.

Fig.1. I I

, Inventor: Rober O H.F\ead,

772W I I u UNITED STATES ROBERT H. READ, OF SCHENECTADY,

Patented September 15, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL SNAP-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,941, datedSeptember 15, 1903.

Application filed June 22,1903- Serial No. 162,514. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. READ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady, State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSnap-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanical cutouts for opening and closingelectric circuits;

and it has reference especially to those known as snap-switches.Heretofore switches of this type have been made with two movable membersor blades pivoted on a common axis and connected by a spring in suchmanner that when one member is moved it puts a tension on the spring, sothat presently, either by the increased spring tension or by abuttingstops on the two members, the second member is forced out of the clip,whereupon the recoil of the spring breaks the circuit so quickly that noarc of any consequence can form. In this kind of switch the tension ofthe spring increases regularly from the time the first member is startedout of the clip until the second member begins to move; but it is notreally necessary to put the spring under tension, at least to anyeffective degree, until after the first member has cleared the clip.

Myinvention consists, therefore, of a switch having more than one blade,the blades being connected by a spring and the construction being suchthat one bladecan have'a certain amount of free or butslightly-restrained an 5 gular movement before the spring is put underany appreciable amount of tens'ion.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a switchembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same,

40 and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modification.

The switch may be mounted in any suitable manner-as, forinstance, on anupright board or panel 1, of slate or other insulating material. Theclips 2 and 3 may be of any suit able construction, one serving as thehingeclip and the other as the contact-clip. The

switch illustrated has two blades 4 5, pivoted, preferably, on the samepin 6 in the hingeclip 2 and both closing into the jaws of thecontact-clip 3.

On one of the blades is secured a leafspring 7, whose free end standsadjacent to a lug or shoulder, on the other blade. The

"spring may not touch the lug when both blades are closed, as shown inFig. 1, in which case the outer blade 4 can be swung out of the clip 3before the spring strikes the lug, after which by the continued movementof the blade 4 the spring gradually stores tension until it is strongenough to snap the inner blade 5 out of the clip 3.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the spring is normally held in weaktension by the lug or shoulder 8, and this tension increases butslightly when the outer blade is swung out of the clip; but at thispoint the spring seats against a stop, such as the end of the stirrup 9,and its effective length is thereby so much shortened that its tensionis rapidly increased and soon snaps the inner blade out of the clip.This gives the same effect as two springs, one a weak and the other astiff one, the weak one being sufficiently strong to hold the. twoblades in contact with one another when free from the clips and thestifi one being sufficiently powerful to pull the inner blade out of theclip.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described the principle ofoperation of my invention,together with the apparatus which I nowconsider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to haveit understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that theinvention can be car- 8 ried out by other means.

What Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. In a switch, the combination with two blades, of a spring connectingthe same, and 0 means whereby one blade can be opened be fore the springis put under any effective tension.

2. In a switch, the combination with two blades, of a spring secured toone and adapted to actuate the other, and means for quickly increasingthe tension of the spring at a given point in the movement of the firstblade.

3. In a switch, the combination with two blades, of aleaf-spring securedto one of them,

a lug on the other blade adjacent to the free end of said spring, and astop for shortening the efiective length of said spring at a given pointin the movement of the blade. [0

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of June,1903.

ROBERT I'I. READ. Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD.

